2 Ascent Zone

a)Tectonic & age control on magmatismIntra-continental basaltic volcanism commonly forms volcanoes dispersed over large areas and erupted over a long period of time, in spite of the fact that the individual volcanoes could be as short lived as a few hours. This type of dispersed intra- plate volcanism is often defined as monogenetic volcanism, expressing the short-lived and small-volume eruptions of the individual volcanoes that make up the fields. While the eruption duration of each individual volcano in a volcanic field is generally short, the life of the entire field can be well over the average lifetime of a composite or stratovolcano, ranging from a few thousands to several hundreds of thousands of years. The total magmatic output of an individual volcano of a volcanic field is considered to be small and estimated to be several orders of magnitude less than the total magmatic output of a composite volcano; however, the total magmatic output of a volcanic field as a whole can be comparable to the average magma output rate of a composite volcano of any composition. These unique features of intra-continental, dominantly basaltic volcanic fields provide a great opportunity to conduct research to understand the internal and external parameters that control how magma reaches the surface from the mantle regions, how individual magma batches evolve during ascent, how the structural elements of the lithosphere influence the style of volcanism produced by the rising magma and how spatio-temporal variations of the style, volume, chemistry of the volcanism could be linked to physico-chemical processes during the ascent of the magma. The generally long duration of the activity of a whole volcanic field makes monogenetic volcanism an important parameter to consider in sedimentary basin evolution. The accumulated eruptive products and their slowly eroding volcaniclastic material could significantly influence the sedimentary history of an evolving basin. The added volcanic material to the basin could help to constrain the timing of events by using radiometric dating techniques to solve stratigraphical problems. The eruptive history of a basaltic volcanic field, which can span millions of years, could coincide with dramatic climatic and paleoenvironmental changes that can be dated precisely using radiometric dating techniques of preserved volcanic rocks. Therefore, a systematic volcanological and geochronological study of individual volcanoes of a volcanic field can help to draw a detailed paleoenvironmental reconstruction, often in combination with paleogeographic reconstructions and erosion rate estimates. In this session we would like to invite contributors conducting research on understanding the link between basaltic magma ascent and the structural setting of a lithosphere. Presentations targeting key questions that try to explain why and how magma forms dispersed ascent zones leading to the formation of volcanic fields are welcomed. We are calling for presentations that show the potential link between dispersed volcanism and more central vent-dominated volcanism. Research results on the spatio-temporal evolution of small-volume basaltic volcanic fields from the perspective of understanding the external versus internal controlling parameters of such variations are encouraged to be submitted to this session. New geochronological analytical techniques, case studies, analogue and computer modelling to explain the magma ascent from depth to the surface are expected to be presented in this session.